Improvement in machine for bending thills



@sind dimite.

JAMES S.HIAMLET, OF PORTSMOUTH,

OHIO.

Letters .Patent No. 96,803, dated Novem-ben 16, 1869.

AIMPROVEMENT IN MACHINE FOR BENDING- THILLS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making .part of the same.

f To whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES T. HAMLET, of )Ports-l mouth, Scota county, Ohio, have invented a new and useful Shaft-Bending Machine; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference heilig had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specifica-tion.

My invention relates to a machine intended exclusively for bending carriage or wagon-shafts or thills, in which the blanks'receive the three distinct curves necessary, and from which they are removed with a single central form, and with other devices, having bearing upon the outside of the shafts, as hereinafter explained, which serve to hold the said shafts unt-il sutliciently seasoned to retain the form imparted.

In the drawingsy Figure l is a perspective View of a machine embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of the same.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the shafts and form removed from the operative parts of the machine.

My machine has a frame, A, to whose cross-piece B are pivoted two levers, C C', whose inner sides have the form proper to be given to the outer sides of the shafts l) at their forward ends; a portion of the inner face of said levers being made up by blocks o, which are removed vwith the bent shafts D, and form E being held to the latter by a retainer, F, a wedge, f, being inserted between one of the blocks o and one of the down-turned ends of the retaining-iron. A similar retainer, F', and wedge f are shown to hold the shafts firmly to the form E, near to the rear ends ofthe shafts.

The form E has metallic pieces c extendingr alongr theconcave portions of its sides, and having their ends tumed rectangularly outward into abutments e', for the ends of the inner couple. of shafts.

The form E and shafts D are laid upon three crosspieces of the frame B'B' B", the form having vertical perforations b, which receive pills b' rising from the cross-pieces B and B', the pins serving to hold the form in place.

To one end of the form E is attached a flexible metallic plate, G, whose outer edge q is turned up rect-` angularly, to forni an abutment for the rear endsof the shafts, and 'on 'this edge is a pin, g'-, for engagenlent by a, shackle, g, which is hinged to the upper side ofthe form E.

Attached tothe cross-piece B" is a flexible metallic plate, H, whose free end is att-ached beneath an abutment-block, t, upon the follower-lover I, to whose up per and outer end is secured a cord, J, which passes over an elevated sheave, h, (upon a suitable support,) to a sheave, h', at the other end of the machine, and from the latter sheave to a drum, K, upon a shaft, K'.

The lower and inner end ofthe follower-lever I has secured to it a cord, L, which'passes over a sheave, I, and to which is attached a heavy weight, l.

The free ends of the levers C O' are furnished with sheaves M, around which passes a cord, M, and the said cord, after passing over two sheaves, O, toA a drum, P', upon the shaft I. v

^ The shafts K' and P have cog-wheels Q and R, and

receive mot-ion from a pinion, S', upon a shaft, S, which shaft receives side movement by a lever', T', and link or rod T; to bring-the pinion S'into engagement with either of the spur-wheels Q and R.

A pawl, U', upon a frame, U, is made to prevent the back rotation of the shaft l' until the frame is raised by the treadle V andcord c, when the lower bar V of the frame is brought in cont-act with ,the wheel Q, and acts as a brake thereupon to prevent the too rapid backward movement of the lever I under the influence ofthe weight l'.

rlhe backward rotation of the shaft P is prevented by a pawl, X.

When the wheel R is disengaged from the pinion S and the pawl X, the levers C C are drawn outward by the weights Y attached to the cords Y', the said cords pass a cord, N, the two ends of which pass over sheaves O, arranged between said levers C C', to a drum, P', upon a suitably-arranged shaft, P, around a fixed form, Z.

Z' is a belt, by which motion is communicated to the shaft S.

The operation of my machine is as follows:

The levers O C' and I being allowed to assume the positions to which they are impelled by the weights Y l', and the form E being-engaged upon the pins b' of the cross-pieces, the straight blanks (having been previously steamed) are laid. two on each side of the form E, extending to the abutment g, and the two blanksin contact with the form E, having their front ends against the abutments e', which prevent the forward movement of the said inner couple of shafts or blanks during the bending ofthe heels. rIhe forward movement ofthe outer shafts is prevented by their friction against the inner shafts. The retaiuerF is then placed in position, as shown, and the wedge j" driven in.

Ihe shifter-lever I is then moved to the left, which .serves to engage the pinion S' with the wheel R, and

causes the shaft P to rotate, winding up the cord N upon the drum P', so that the ends ofthe levers C C' are drawn toward each other, and the blanks are made to conform to the shape of the form E and levers C C'. When the said levers have been sufiiciently drawn inward, the pinion S' is disengaged from the wheel It. The retainer F is then placed so as to embrace the form-blocks o, and the wedge f is driven in, if necessary. The pinion S' is then engaged with the spul'- wheel Q, which winds the cord J upon the drum K, and draws up the follower-lever I, which ilexes the plates G H, and bends the rear ends of the shafts D around the curved side of the fixed form 7. The pinion S is then disengaged from the spur-wheel Q, and the shackle g engaged on thepin g', which prevents the outward movement of the plate G when the shafts and form are removed from the machine, which is done in manner following: The wheel B. is relieved from the pawl X, when the levers C C are drawn ontward by the weights Y; the treadle V is then depressed, lwhich relieves the wheel Q from the pawl U and putsthebrakeW in operation. When this is done, the weight l' draws back the lever I. The shafts, with the devices attached, as shown in g. 3, may then be removed by raising the front end until the form is clear of the pins I. v i

I do not connue myself to the exact devices shown for drawing the levers C C.' inward, as other well-known mechanical devices may be employed; for instance, the levers might be moved up by bisected nuts en. gaging a single right and left-hand screw, operating beneath the levers, the nuts heilig opened to release then', from the screw, and allow the levers to Spread apart under the influence of the weight Y, or two separate screws might be used in place of the single right and left-hand screw.

It will be seen that by drawing in the levers C C', by a single rope, having free side movement between the sheaves M, compensation is allowed between the two levers, so that should the blanks on one side of the central form E be somewhat thicker than those upon th'e other side, the levers will be drawn up to suit such irregularity.

The matters removed with the bent shafts are very small iu amount, so that the whole combination of four shaft-s and retaining-devices can be readily handled by one man, and can be 'stowed away in a small space, to sea-son. Y

Having described the construction and operation of my machine,

What I claim as new, and of my invention, is-

1. The combination of the removable central form E, exible heel-strap G, blocks c c, and retainers F F g, all constructed and arranged as herein described, and for the purposes set forth.

2. The levers C C herein described, in combination with the sheaves M O and drum P', arranged for the reception of a single operating-cord, N, as set forth.

3. The combination ofthe forms c E Z, levers O G' I,'plate G, and follower H, cords J N, and drums K and P', as and for lthe purpose stated.

4. The combination oi' the journalshaf'ts K P S with drums K P',`and spur-wheels Q R S' wit-l1 the-` treadlc and ln'ake-frame U U V o W, as herein described, and forthe purpose specified.

In testimony of which invention, I hereunto set my rhand.

J. S. HAMLET.

\Vitnesses:

Guo. H.' KNIGHT,

JAMEs H. LAYMAN. 

